Marching On
by livvylane
Summary: Harry still loved Ginny. He always would. She was the mother of his children, after all. He cared for her just like he cared for all of his friends, but the original spark was gone. The divorce went by without much conflict, unlike Ron and Hermione's. Harry is left to try and figure out how to be a single father while also teaching at Hogwarts. His life was never easy.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not, and never will, own Harry Potter.**

 **IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **This story had several changes to canon. I will leave them here for readers to understand a few things.**

 **One: Sirius never died. I love him too much so, Sirius is still alive and being awesome. He is the Charms Professor at Hogwarts and married a muggle,** **Cassiopeia** **"Cassie" White who lives with him at Hogwarts. He has a daughter who is James' age named Corina "Cori".**

 **Two: Fred also never died, because I am in complete denial. He married Alicia Spinnet and had five children, all girls. The oldest is eleven at the start and a first year named Georgia. Then it is Isabelle "Izzy" who is four years younger than Georgia. Then he had twins two years after that, Faith and Grace. The youngest is a one-year-old Jessica. George's son is still Fred, though he goes by Freddie.**

 **Three: Remus and Tonks didn't die (you see a pattern here?). They raised Teddy and Teddy is a Hufflepuff. They also had one other child, a girl named Caroline who is eleven and starting Hogwarts. Teddy will be going into his fourth year.**

 **Four: Harry is not an auror. He is a teacher at Hogwarts. He teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hermione teachers Transfiguration, Draco Malfoy teaches Potions, Sirius, as I said, teaches Charms, and Neville still teaches Herbology. Astoria, Draco's wife, is practicing to be the new Hogwarts Matron.**

 **Five: Neville and Luna are together. They have four children: Frank (8), Alice (5), and Lorcan and Lysander (4). Luna is a wand maker and works at Ollivanders.**

 **Six: Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones were killed in the Battle of Hogwarts. Hannah was killed by Fenrir Greyback and Susan was killed protecting a younger student who had stayed to fight.**

 **Anything else that you might see in this story will be clear, such as Ron and Hermione's divorce. If you have any questions, leave them in a review.**

* * *

The day was bright and there was not a single cloud to be seen in the sky. The neighborhood of Godric's Hollow was quiet, save the birds whose songs filled the early morning sky. The peacefulness of the area was a far cry from the horror that had occurred thirty years prior. Gone were the memories of the burning home and the horrified screams of neighbors. The graves of James and Lily Potter were just another grave in the graveyard.

Well, to everyone but their son. At thirty one, Harry Potter visited the graveyard near his home that he had settled in after the war at least once a week. Ginny often came with him and lately, so did his children.

At the Potter Cottage, Harry and his wife were in the kitchen, talking quietly. The smell of bacon and pancakes permeated the air, drawing their three children from their beds. An ecstatic eight-year-old whom had been given the name James Sirius hopped into the kitchen, ready to eat. He was followed by his little sister, four-year-old Lily Luna, whose big brown eyes were drawn to the food. Six-year-old Albus Severus sleepily shuffled in moments later.

Harry smiled nervously at his children. They had gone all out with breakfast, hoping to get their kids in a good mood before explaining the news. He wasn't looking forward to it. Sirius, his godfather, had suggested that he come for moral support, but Harry knew that this was something he and Ginny needed to tell them themselves.

As Ginny piled food on the children's plates, Harry let his eyes wander of them. James was getting so big. He had messy hair like Harry's and big brown eyes like Ginny's that shined with mischief. Ever since he had been born two months early, that little boy had been nothing but trouble, and it didn't help that Sirius had pretty much taken him under his wing and taught him to be the best prankster ever.

Albus was much different than his brother. He was kind and quiet, always willing to help, but he was also painfully shy. It was hard to take the child out into public. The fact that he was nearly a carbon copy of Harry made him the apple of the Public's eye and he was always hiding behind Harry's legs when people would stare.

Lily was his little princess. With her long, Weasley red hair and bright brown eyes, she looked just like Ginny had when she was younger and she was a fiery little four-year-old. She wasn't shy and was always looking to make friends with people. She usually could, as well. Everyone instantly fell in love with her outgoing personality and she lit up the room whenever she entered.

He'd tried his best to make sure they had an amazing childhood… and now they were going to ruin it.

He felt horrible.

Sitting beside Ginny, he sent her a look. She nodded. They both knew that they had to do it. They couldn't keep on like this anymore.

"James, Albus, Lily," Harry spoke getting their attention. Usually, it took a while to get them quiet down in the excited chatter (especially James and Lily) but they obviously noticed something in their father's voice.

"We have something to tell you," Ginny continued. Her hands shook slightly and she put them on her lap, keeping them steady.

Harry took a deep breathe. He could see the curiosity gleaming in the children's eyes.

It took him a minute but he finally managed to speak again. It would be better to just get this over with. There was no use trying to hide it anymore, "You know that your mother and I love you all very much, right?"

They nodded, looking confused.

"Well, lately your mother and I have realized that things aren't working out between us," Harry said slowly, "We've decided that the best thing for us to do is to… get a divorce."

"What's a diborse?" Lily asked, not understanding. It was obvious that James understood though, if the horrified look on his face was anything to go by. Albus knew, as well. They could remember Ron and Hermione's recent separation better than Lily could.

Ginny decided to explain this, "Well, your father and I are going to be living in separate places. We're going to be separated."

"But," James spoke up, eyebrows scrunched together, "I thought you loved each other."

"We do," Ginny assured him, "But, it's not the same. We love each other as friends but not how we used to. Do you understand?"

James shook his head. His lower lip wobbled, "But what's going to happen to us?"

Harry sighed, glancing at Albus and Lily. Lily still looked confused, but he could see that she was slowly starting to understand. Albus was silent and Harry could see tears in his eyes.

"We're going to have joint custody," Ginny explained softly, "You will stay with your father for one week and then me for another week. We've already decided that I'll keep the house and Harry is going to be staying at Hogwarts. That means that you three will get to live at Hogwarts when you're with him."

That seemed to cheer James up a little. Harry was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts but he had never actually lived at the castle before. He had his own quarters for between classes but he would always floo home once all his classes were over, and on the weekends. The three children had visited Hogwarts before and absolutely loved it.

"Really?" James asked excitedly, though there was still a tinge of sadness in his voice.

The news, however, had Lily elated as she stood up and started bouncing up and down, "When do we go? When do we go?"

"Well, I'll be staying here until the summer is over," Harry explained to his daughter, "But we will be going over to Hogwarts this weekend to set up your bedrooms in my quarters. I've already talked to McGonagall about adding three more bedrooms. Would you like that?"

Summer still had three weeks left. They had chosen on telling their children the plans early. The divorce was already going through.

Unlike Hermione and Ron whose divorce had been the result of an epic fight when Ron discovered that Hermione was now on friendly terms with Draco Malfoy (Hermione was the Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts and Draco taught Potions so they kind of had to be), Harry and Ginny had both simply come to the realization that they didn't love each other anymore. Of course, they still cared about each other but the original love was gone. Their divorce was clean, not messy. Harry had offered her to stay in the house and they had split everything evenly and without conflict.

Hermione and Ron's divorce had been a bit messy. Ron was convinced that Hermione was cheating on him with Draco, despite her insistence that she would never do that. They fought over the house and the money and even the kids. Eventually, Harry had sat them both down and they had managed to come up with an agreement. Ron kept the house and Hermione now lived at Hogwarts. Hermione had gotten primary custody of the kids, as Ron's job as an Auror had odd, long hours and the then three and five year old's needed a parent to be with them more often.

Still, they saw their father every other weekend. Ron and Hermione had gotten over the horrible fight but had realized that their marriage would have never worked out. Ron was currently dating Katie Bell and they got along much better than he and Hermione ever had.

He knew it would be much different between himself and Ginny. It wasn't messy. Things were mutual. They had an understanding.

Harry's eyes found Albus' matching ones. They were filling up with tears and he quickly stood and gathered the small boy in his arms. He had known that Albus would be the most affected by this. He was always more sensitive than the other two.

He hugged his middle child to him and rubbed his back soothingly as the boy started to cry.

"Hey, don't worry, bud," he whispered in his ear, "Everything's going to be okay."

* * *

 **So, yeah, I decided to write something a bit different. I broke up Ron and Hermione as well as Harry and Ginny. Usually, I like them to be happy together but I really wanted some drama and also decided to write a Harry/Hermione story. However, this will not be Weasley Bashing story. I tried to make it as believable as possible. Ron is the jealous type and I always felt that he and Hermione wouldn't really work out (though there is a part of me that ships them badly). Honestly, I really love Hinny but I like Harmony more so... this is what happened!**

 **More, like the ages of cousins, will be explained as the story goes along. It will focus on Harry and his kids and the drama that will enter his life. I have lots of plans *laughs evilly*.**

 **If you have any questions, concerns, or anything you want to hear more about in an upcoming chapter, leave them in a review!**


	2. Back to Hogwarts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"Daddy! Look over here! Daddy!"

Harry glanced up from where he was tiredly going over documents on his desk. School would be starting later that day and he needed to be ready. He was going to be sending his kids to Cassie, Sirius' wife, soon for the feast. He was starting to regret not sending them earlier, especially when he saw what Lily wanted him to see.

She was floating in midair.

Heart in his throat, he quickly hopped off the desk and grabbed her out of the air. She giggled happily, "Magic, daddy! I did magic!"

He nodded, "Yes, you did," he said, trying to keep himself calm. Lily had yet to do magic, as they usually started around four or five, and it was not going to be fun with three of them doing accidental magic. Two was bad enough. James had nearly set the house on fire several times and Albus had a habit of making things shatter when he was upset.

"Be careful," he told her as he set her down. Once sure that she was not going to float and possible hurt herself, he gave a sigh of relief, "Where are your brothers?"

"I'm not supposed to say."

Harry raised his eyebrows at his daughter and crossed his arms, "Oh?"

She nodded, looking proud, "James said that if I don't tell anyone what he's doing, he'll give me his cookie at dinner."

"Well, if you tell me what he's doing, I'll tell Aunt Cassie to give you the biggest cookie."

Lily's eyes lit up as if Harry had just promised her the world. She nodded quickly and grinned widely, "Okay, I'll tell you. Jamie and Albie went exploing!"

Harry didn't bother correcting the child on her word. He simply sighed and ran his hand over his face. He'd told them several times that they could not explore the castle without him but of course, they did not listen.

He checked his watch. He had an hour before the feast. He just had to find them, send them to Cassie's, and get to the feast. He could do this.

Luckily, he had the map.

Opening the drawer on his desk, he pulled out the Marauders Map. Lily hopped up beside him, peering at it as he spoke the words and watched as the castle appeared.

"Ooh," Lily whispered in amazement.

He searched the map for his son's names and saw them on the fourth floor. He folded the map up and turned to his daughter, "Want to come with me to get your brothers?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

He lifted her onto his shoulders and left his quarters, making sure to lock it on his way out. He held the map in his hands, making sure the two boys didn't leave the area, and headed straight for where they were. They seemed to be a deep conversation with a portrait.

"James. Albus."

The two boys looked up at him and guilty expressions immediately crossed over their faces. Harry raised his eyebrows at them and Lily giggled slightly from above his head.

"Hey, Dad," James said sheepishly.

Harry sighed. He knew he would have to punish them for disobeying but he honestly didn't have time at the moment.

"Come on, we need to get to Cassie's. I'll talk to you two tonight."

Harry had never been the one to discipline. That had always been Ginny.

The two boys nodded, grateful that they would get out of their punishment for the moment, and Harry grabbed both of their hands and started walking down the hall.

It didn't take long to reach Sirius and Cassie's quarters, luckily. He knocked on the portrait of a big black dog and beautiful white tabby cat and it recognized his magic signature. It opened up almost immediately.

James ran in once the door was open, practically bouncing over to where Cori, Sirius and Cassie's daughter, was. James and Cori were best friends and partners in crime. Sirius had raised his only daughter to be the best prankster the Wizarding World had ever seen and, with as much time James spent with them, he'd picked it up as well.

He lifted Lily off of his shoulders and sat her on the ground as Cassie walked in. The woman gave him a wide smile. She was a fairly tall woman who was a bit younger than Sirius. She stood with grace and her round face was bright with happiness. Her blonde hair flowed down her shoulders like a river and her bright, brown eyes gleamed with kindness.

"Cassie!" Harry said happily, giving the woman a hug. Sirius had met her shortly after the war when his name was finally cleared. He'd been given a whole lot of money from the Ministry once they realized that they had locked him up for twelve years for something he didn't do and had used a lot of it to go on vacation in the United States. He struck up a conversation with a waitress while at a restaurant once learning that her name was Cassiopeia.

It had amused both of them that they had been named after stars and Sirius had gotten her number. One thing led to another, and Sirius had ended up staying in the States for a while. Remus had been the best man at his wedding and little Teddy, Sirius' godson, had been the ring bearer. Victoire, Bill's daughter, had been three at the time and was the flower girl.

The moment Cassie met Harry and learned that he was Sirius' godson, she had immediately decided that she would be the best godmother there was. She constantly acted as if she was his own mother, always calling to see how he was doing and she and Sirius were at St. Mungo's not even five minutes after Harry had called them in a panic when James, always causing trouble, was born two months premature, despite being eight months pregnant herself.

Cassie had took learning of magic in stride, too. Of course, it had been a shock, but she had simply seen it as a whole new adventure.

"Harry!" Cassie greeted happily, hugging him tightly, "Another year. You ready for it?"

Harry grinned and shook his head, "I can never be ready for these children. Where's Sirius?"

"Oh, he already headed down to the feast. Hermione's there too. Rose and Hugo are already here. Speaking of which," she turned down to Albus and Lily, "They're in the playroom. Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius, is here as well. He's your age, Al."

This took Harry by surprise. Hermione might be friends with Malfoy, but Harry was not. They had a grudgingly civil relationship going on simply due to the fact that they were coworkers. Harry had not known that he left his son with Cassie.

"I didn't know Scorpius would be here," Harry said as Albus and Lily went running back to the room.

Cassie nodded, "Oh, of course. Draco is Sirius' cousin, after all, and Astoria is going to be with Madame Pomfrey from now on. She's practicing to be the Hogwarts Matron since Poppy is planning on retiring after this year."

Harry knew that. He had gotten close to Poppy after he started working at Hogwarts and now fully appreciated all she had done for him. He'd been in the Hospital Wing more times than he could count, after all.

He hadn't thought that this would mean that Scorpius wouldn't have somewhere to stay.

He simply nodded, "This year's going to be pretty interesting. Freddie and Georgia are starting."

Cassie let out a laugh. When both Angelina and Alicia had gotten pregnant at the same time, Fred and George had agreed to name their children after each other. George had a boy whom he had named Fred (or Freddie, as everyone called him) and Fred had a girl who he named Georgia. The toy were a pranking team that rivalled James and Cori and since their father's owned Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, it was going to be a wild year.

"Caroline is as well," Cassie said, referring to Remus and Tonks' daughter. Tonks had badly wanted a girl after the war and she had gotten her wish.

"What houses are you betting on?"

With Teddy and Victoire, the only two of their group that was in Hogwarts, everyone had bet on the houses they would end up in. Harry had been right with Teddy, betting that he would go into Hufflepuff, as the boy was hard working and fair, just like his mother, but he'd been wrong with Victoire. He'd been sure the girl would be a Ravenclaw with her brains but she'd gone to Gryffindor.

Cassie grinned at that, "Oh, Harry, I'm ashamed that you would believe that I would take place in this betting system."

Harry gave her a look. He knew quite well that Cassie had bet the last two times, and she'd won both times.

"Oh, alright. Caroline's a Gryffindor, through and through. I have no doubt about that. Freddie and Georgia are a little more complicated but I said Gryffindor as well."

Harry didn't agree with that last one but he kept quiet about it.

The door open and Harry turned to see Neville at the door. He gave them a grin as his oldest, Frank, dashed to where James and Cori were excitedly talking about what was obviously a prank. Frank was Harry's saving grace. He was the one that held the two pranksters back. He looked like Neville, though he had inherited Luna's love of magical creatures.

Alice bolted in afterwards and into Harry's arms. He grinned as he picked up his goddaughter.

"Uncle Harry! Guess what!" the girl exclaimed. Her blue eyes were bright with excitement.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"I lost a tooth!" she said, smiling brightly and showing off the missing front tooth.

Neville laughed as he walked over with Lorcan and Lysander, the twins, attached to his legs,"Lost it this morning. The tooth fairy's going to be coming tonight, isn't she?"

Alice nodded happily and shimmied her way out of Harry's arms. She held up two fingers, "Daddy said that I'm going to get two galleons!"

"Oh, I bet you will," Harry said, nodding seriously.

Alice giggled and then asked, "Where's Lily?"

"Oh, they're in the playroom," Cassie told the excitable girl and before she could say more, the five-year-old bolted from the room.

Neville laughed slightly at his daughter. Then, he turned downwards to where his two four-year-olds were attached to his legs, "Come on, guys, don't you want to go play?"

"No!" Lorcan said sternly, clutching tighter to Neville, "Not going!"

Lorcan and Lysander were a bit… attached.

Cassie kneeled down so she was on their level, "How about, if you guys let go, I'll show you my coin collection?"

The two boys seemed to contemplate it for a moment before they nodded and hopped off their father's legs. Neville gave them both a hug and they disappeared to the playroom.

Harry did not envy Cassie one bit. She was going to be watching eleven kids while they were at the feast.

"Well, Harry, we should probably get going. Don't want to be late," Neville said, "Thank you for watching them, Cassie."

"Oh, it's no problem," Cassie said truthfully, "I love the kids."

Harry didn't doubt that. Cassie had had a rough pregnancy with Cori and wasn't able to have any more kids, though she always wanted more.

"Well, we better be off. I'll tell you about the houses when I come to pick them up. Thanks for this!" Harry said, giving her a hug.

And with that, Harry and Neville left the room and headed down to the Great Hall. Hermione would be picking up the first years from the boat and taking them to the castle but the rest of the staff would be there.

He talked to Neville as they walked.

"How's Luna?"

Neville grinned at the mention of his wife, "She's great. Ollivander said that he's going to retire next year, so she'll be taking over."

Luna was an incredible wand maker. Ollivander had taught her a lot when they had been held hostage at the Malfoy's together and had given her a job once the war ended. Harry had been surprised at how good she was at it but she was famous in Diagon Alley now.

"Oh, that's great!" Harry said, "I bet she's excited."

Neville nodded at that, "She definitely is. How's Gin-"

He cut himself off, seeming to realize his mistake. The entire Wizarding World knew about the divorce. It had been on the front cover of the Daily Prophet only two days after they told their kids. Of course, they had told their friends and family before then.

"It's fine," Harry shrugged, "Quidditch season's starting up so she's been training a lot. I'll be bringing the kids over to her place on Saturday for them to spend a week with her. I'm a little worried about it. She works a lot so she'll be getting a babysitter. I hope they'll be okay…"

"I'm sure they will," Neville reassured him as they reached the Great Hall, "It's really nice that the whole divorce went so smoothly. Usually, people can't stand each other when they get divorced."

Harry nodded. There had been rumors about the reason for the divorce all over the papers until he finally explained to the public, "It was mutual. We both just realized that it was the best decision."

"I respect that," Neville said and then he opened the door to the Great Hall.

They were the last staff members to arrive. Save for Hermione who was waiting for the First years, the staff table was full. Harry and Neville walked over and took their seats. Harry sat by Sirius and Neville took a seat by Terry Boot, the Arithmancy Professor.

"Ready for another year?" Harry asked his godfather with a grin.

Sirius' grey eyes were bright with mischief, "Oh, as ready as I'll ever be."

It wasn't long after those words escaped Sirius' lips that the doors opened and a flood of students entered, chatting cheerfully to their friends as they separated to their designated tables. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw filled up, all but the ends sporting students.

Harry caught Teddy's eye as he sat down at the Hufflepuff table and the boy waved at him happily, hair a bright blue.

Sirius sent Harry a grin, "So, Caroline's a definite Gryffindor."

"Yeah, that's for sure. Freddie and Georgia though…"

Sirius just grinned at that.

The first years piled in after Hermione who grinned at Harry as she entered. She walked up the steps where the stool and the Sorting Hat was and swiftly turned to the nervous first years. Harry's eyes scanned the many faces and quickly spotted the three that he knew. Caroline's eyes were glancing around a bit nervously, but he could see how excited she was. Georgia and Freddie were whispering to each other, probably planning something.

After the hat had sang, Hermione spoke, "When I call your name, come up to the stool. Anderson, Rachel."

A small, mousy girl nervously walked up to the hat and sat on the stool. She gripped the edge tightly as Hermione set the hat on her head and it fell over her eyes. About fifteen seconds passed before the hat shouted, "Ravenclaw!"

And so the sorting began. Student after student walked up to the stool and were sorted into their new houses. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw. The list got shorter and shorter in Hermione's hands.

"Caroline Lupin."

Harry leaned forward at that one. Hermione gave the brown-haired girl an encouraging smile as she arrived and sat on the stool.

Just as Harry had expected, the hat had barely touched her head before shouting, "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table burst into applause. Harry clapped just as hard as them and Sirius looked like he was about to stand on the staff table and do a jig. Harry saw Teddy at the Hufflepuff table looking a little disappointed, but clapping anyway.

"Knew it," Harry grinned at Sirius, "Sadly, I think everyone bet on Gryffindor."

Sirius laughed at that, "No money for us."

The list continued to go down, dwindling until there were only three first years waiting in line.

"Weasley, Fred."

The boy hopped forward excitedly, not an ounce of nervousness revealed on his face. A prime example of a Gryffindor. He sat on the stool and shoved the hat on his head excitedly.

Everyone expected the hat to shout out the house of the lions the moment it hit his head, but it did not. Harry watched as the excited expression on Freddie's face slowly melted into a nervous one. His fingers tightened on the stool, knuckles turning white. His lips moved silently, as if he was arguing with the hat.

It lasted for three long minutes, longer than any of the previous first years. Harry could see Georgia in the line, looking incredibly nervous as she watched her cousin.

Whispers began sparking up around the hall.

Finally, the hat shouted for everyone to hear, "Slytherin!"

Freddie seemed frozen on the stool, even after Hermione lifted the hat off his head. Georgia stood, mouth open in horrified shock. The entire hall was silent.

Harry glanced at Sirius, who looked shocked, and knew that he had to do something. He started to clap for his nephew, hoping that the boy would understand that he wasn't going to be abandoned for being a Slytherin. Sirius got the hint quickly and joined in, as did Neville, Teddy, and Victoire. A few other students here and there clapped as well, but the hall was mostly silent.

Freddie glanced back at the table and gave them a small, sad smile. Harry had never seen the boy as upset as he was as he walked to the Slytherin table. Unlike when Harry had been sorted into Gryffindor, the Slytherins did not greet him. They did not even speak to him and he sat at the very end, staring blankly at the table.

"Weasley, Georgia."

The girl walked up to the stool, much slower and looking rather disappointed. She sat on the stool and it barely touched her head before shouting, "Gryffindor!"

The Fred and George reincarnations had been split up.

Once Clarissa Zabini had been sorted into Ravenclaw and McGonagall gave her speech, Harry turned to Sirius, "I called it."

* * *

 **AN: Hopefully, this chapter was good! I needed to introduce more characters and information on how things went down. Next chapter, we'll actually have some Harry/Hermione interaction and Harry finding out who Ginny chose for a babysitter.**

 **Leave me a review on how this chapter went, and tell me what you want to see in the future!**


	3. Pride and Jealousy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

The first week flew by, as it always did. Harry had never felt so overwhelmed.

Throughout the day, James, Albus, and Lily stayed with Cassie. Cassie took it all in stride. She adored watching the kids and Harry felt good leaving them with her. He trusted her, after all. He knew that she would die protecting them and she would never hurt them, so the only thing he was worried about when leaving them with her was how they treated her. After all, he wasn't the only one leaving his kids with her. Scorpius was with her all day, and so were Rose and Hugo. Neville's kids were with Luna whenever she was off (which was every other day) but when she wasn't, they were with Cassie.

He had no idea how she handled all of them, but she did and they all loved her.

Albus had become best friends with Scorpius and this bothered Harry for a while. He wasn't fond of Draco, after all. However, he was quick to realize that his rivalry with Draco shouldn't affect his son's friendships.

During the day, Harry taught and taught and taught. He quickly learned who of the first years were trouble-makers and learned who would be the best in the class and the worst in the class.

In the evening, he was busy grading papers and trying to watch James, Albus, and Lily. Lily's accidental magic came as if a dam had broken and now he was having to watch her carefully. James and Cori had started several pranks around school. Albus was constantly talking to him, rambling about what they had done that day.

It made concentrating on grading very difficult.

He'd been watching Freddie, hoping to see the boy's spirits up, but that hadn't happen. Freddie seemed to sulk around the castle, not talking to anyone, even Georgia.

Harry had hoped things would work out for the boy, but it looked like he would have to take things into his own hands.

It was Friday. His last class was first year Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. So, as it finished, he spoke up.

"Freddie, stay after class."

The boy sent him a look but nodded. As the students piled out of the classroom, Freddie walked up to his desk.

"How are you doing?" Harry asked him simply, eyebrows raised at the eleven-year-old.

Freddie huffed, crossing his arms, "How does it look? I'm a stinking Slytherin."

Harry simply nodded at that, "Yes, you are a Slytherin. How is it? I heard the Common Room is under the lake."

The boy's eyebrows furrowed. He hadn't expected that response, "Well… it's kind of cool. But everyone there hates me because I'm a Weasley. And everyone in the school hates me because I'm a Slytherin."

Harry sighed. He knew that Freddie was looking at things in a negative way, though it was true that many believed that. There were a lot of prejudice in the school against Slytherins.

"The other Slytherin's are most likely just a bit confused. At least most of them. I know that they're trying hard to fix the image of Slytherin house being all about blood purity. There has never been a Weasley in Slytherin before. Look at you, breaking rules your first day in."

It was a poor way to cheer him up and he knew it.

Freddie huffed again, "Everyone in Slytherin are prats. They're all sneaky little snakes who manipulate people for their own gain."

"You do realize that being sneaky isn't a bad thing, right?" Harry raised his eyebrows at him, "You and Georgia have been sneaking around places since you could walk."

He faltered at that, "That's different."

"Is it? There's a reason why most of the Slytherin's escaped the Battle of Hogwarts fairly unscathed. They were sneaky. At the time, I thought that they had just abandoned us but as I grew older and met more people, I've realized that that wasn't the case. There were several Slytherins fighting but they were just smarter than others not to be seen. They helped us just as much as the other houses."

Freddie stared at Harry, eyes wide, "But… Slytherin is Voldemort's house."

A sigh escaped Harry's lips and he nodded, "Yes, it was. It was home to a lot of dark wizards, but so was Gryffindor and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor and it was him that led my parents to their deaths."

Freddie winced at that and looked at the ground.

"Kathryn Oswald was a Hufflepuff. Do you know who she was?"

Freddie shook his head.

"She was one of Voldemort's most loyal followers, though she managed to stay mostly in the shadows. After the war, she showed her true colors and attacked dozens of Muggle towns and killed a total of fifty people. She even murdered her newborn baby in a failed ritual to bring Voldemort back to life. Loyalty can be just as dangerous as manipulation."

Freddie looked horrified at that, "But Hufflepuff's are supposed to be nice!"

Harry nodded, "You need to realize that stereotypes are just that: stereotypes. Hufflepuffs are not always kind. Hardworking and loyalty does not equal kindness. You can work hard on a crime. You can be loyal to someone horrible. Same with Gryffindor. Bravery does not equal good. You can brave to commit a crime. You can be determined to kill someone. Wit can be used for harm. Intelligence can be dangerous."

Freddie chewed on his bottom lip, thinking hard. Finally, he protested weakly, "But I'm not a Slytherin."

A laugh escaped his lips at that. Freddie trying to say that he wasn't a Slytherin was like Ron trying to say he wasn't a Gryffindor, "Of course you are, Freddie. I've never seen someone as sneaky as you, or as ambitious as you. Wasn't it you that said that you want to be Minister of Magic one day?"

The boy gave a small nod.

Harry smiled at him, "Slytherin is a great house filled with amazing wizards. Severus Snape was a Slytherin, you know? He was the bravest man I ever knew."

Freddie seemed to be brightening up at this as he leaned in, wanting to hear more.

"Draco Malfoy was a Slytherin as well," Harry said, sighing softly.

"But you don't like him."

"No," Harry agreed, smiling, "But I respect him. He saved my life when we were captured by Death Eaters in the war and I know that he's an amazing father. He, like a lot of Slytherins, didn't have a choice during the War but at his trial, several people came forward saying that he saved their lives and even helped some escape when he could."

Freddie nodded, understand. He still didn't look sure, though, "That still doesn't change the fact that everyone hates me."

"Everyone doesn't hate you," Harry assured him, "I don't, Sirius doesn't, Neville and Hermione don't, Teddy and Victoire and Georgia and Caroline don-"

The first year interrupted him, "Georgia hasn't spoken to me once!"

Harry winced. He had noticed that. The girl seemed to be a bit upset.

Deciding to prove a point, he asked, "What did your parents say?"

Freddie shrugged and pulled a letter out of his pocket, "Dad sent me this the first day… I haven't read it."

"Why not?"

"What if he disowned me?" Freddie asked, voice shaking fearfully.

Harry stared at his nephew in disbelief. He shook his head softly, "Freddie, your father is the last person alive who would disown you for something as simple as being a Slytherin. Mind if I read it out loud?"

Freddie looked scared but he nodded.

Harry pulled out the letter and skimmed through it. He smirked lightly and then started to read.

"Dear Freddie,

Slytherin! I can't say I expected it, that would be your Uncle Harry, but I can definitely see it. Merlin, this is great. You and Georgia are going to be the prankster royalty! Your Uncle Fred and I only really had access to the Gryffindors but now you to have access to two houses! Just imagine the things you two are going to do.

Make sure to keep me updated. I'll send you pranking supplies, just don't tell your mother. I've already got some Extendable Ears ready to send to you so get back to me soon and I'll send them.

Your mother says she's proud of you. Slytherin needs a good Beater. Next year, you're going to have to get on the team and give Slytherin a chance. I've heard that they haven't won the Quidditch Cup in years!

I bet you can get a lot of your fellow snakes to help with pranks. They're all sneaky. Come to think of it, Fred and I really should have been Slytherins.

Write back soon about the pranks.

With love,

Dad."

Harry glanced up at his nephew. The boy was blinking back relieved tears.

"Now," Harry said slowly, nodding at Freddie, "You and Georgia go out there and make a name for yourselves. Don't tell McGonagall that I said that."

* * *

"Daddy, I can't find my shoes!"

"Jamie took my doll!"

"Where's my bag?"

Harry sighed, running a hand over his face. It was Saturday. That meant that he had to take the kids over to Ginny's for the week. It was rather difficult to get three kids to the floo with everything they needed.

He pulled out his wand and summoned Albus' shoes, "Al, come here," he said and the six-year-old walked over, "Here's your shoes."

Albus beamed and took them. He had recently learned to tie his own shoes and always loved to show it off.

"James, give Lily back her doll," he told his oldest, "And your bag is in your room."

The boy sighed but handed his sister back the doll and bounded off to his bedroom. Minutes later, he was running back with his gold back on his shoulders.

"I'm ready!" he said happily.

Harry let his eyes roam over his children, making sure they had everything. Their shoes were on, they had their bags (Harry had personally packed them to make sure they didn't leave anything behind). He gave a nod of satisfaction.

"Alright, we'll be taking the floo. I'll go with Lily. James, Albus, you can go alone, right?"

The two boys nodded confidently.

"Lily and I will go last. James, you first."

His oldest smiled proudly and bounced up to the floo. He grabbed a handful of floo powder. One hand holding tightly to his bag, he flung the powder into the floo and spoke, "Potter Cottage."

As he was whisked away, Albus replaced him in the floo.

Once his sons had flooed away, he climbed into the floo holding Lily. The girl had a bit of a lisp and couldn't enunciate things clearly, so he was always worried to let her go alone.

He arrived at Potter Cottage moments later. James and Albus had run into their mother's arms and Ginny was hugging them as if she hadn't seen them in years. Lily wiggled out of Harry's hold and bolted to Ginny as well.

Harry glanced around. Ginny hadn't changed anything about the place except that he noticed several suitcases by the couch.

The door to the kitchen opened and a man walked out. Harry almost pulled his wand on him in habit but pulled himself back as Ginny gave him a smile.

She turned to her kids, "This is Michael Corner. He's going to be your nanny while I'm at work."

Michael Corner. He'd been in Dumbledore's Army and he'd dated Ginny for a while, but Harry didn't know him all that well.

"Actually, it's a manny," Michael corrected with a smirk. He glanced to Harry and his face clouded over with what looked to be jealousy. He nodded stiffly, "Potter."

It wasn't hard to realize that the man wasn't fond of Harry. He nodded back, "Corner."

Michael's eyes flitted over each of the kids before resting on Lily, "Aw, Gin. She looks just like you."

Lily beamed proudly at that and hopped slightly as she spoke, "Mummy says I'm her mini-me!"

"That you are," Michael said cheerfully, ruffling the girl's hair, "Hey, I brought Exploding Snap with me. You guys want to go play a game?"

The three children nodded enthusiastically and bounced off after him as he left the room.

Harry raised his eyebrows at Ginny, "Michael Corner? Really?"

She sighed, "We met up at the Three Broomsticks the other day. He told me that he had recently lost his job and his home. I mentioned that I needed to find a babysitter and he agreed, so he'll be living here with me to watch the kids," she suddenly changed the subject, "Anything about the kids I should know?"

He shrugged, "Albus has a new best friend. It's Scorpius Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" her lips quirked up at that, "Wow, I didn't expect that."

He shook his head, agreeing, "Well, I'll just say my goodbyes and be off."

She nodded and he walked to the area that he saw the kids and Michael go. He found them in the kitchen, surrounding the table.

"Alright, kids, I'm going to go now. I'll see you next Saturday."

They nodded distractedly. Harry frowned, feeling a bit of jealousy ignite.

Ginny gave him a reassuring smile, "They'll be excited to see you when you get back. Don't worry."

He nodded, said one more goodbye that got half-hearted replies, and left.

* * *

"What are you doing out here?"

Harry glanced up. He was outside, sitting against a tree with several essays in front of him. He'd brought them with him to grade, but had gotten distracted staring off into space.

Hermione was standing next to him.

He shrugged lightly, "Just thinking. I actually have time to do that now. Last week, I was overwhelmed. Now, I feel underwhelmed."

She gave a soft laugh at that and sat beside Harry, "I know what you mean. Ron has the kids this weekend. It's too quiet in my quarters. There's no screaming children running around, creating messes or fighting. It's a bit peaceful, but it's also boring."

He smiled softly and nodded. Things were a bit boring without the kids running around. It was too quiet. They had been gone a full day now and it was the longest that he'd gone without seeing them. He was really starting to miss them. There was too much free time on his hands.

"How are the essays coming along?" Hermione asked him, noticing the papers.

"They're not," he said with a sigh, glancing down at the one in his hands. It was by a sixth year Gryffindor and, to put it mildly, it was bad.

"Let me see," Hermione said, holding her hand out. He handed the paper to her and the moment she read the line, her nose scrunched up, "Oh, wow. This reminds me of one of your essays when we were younger."

He laughed, "Mine were not that bad!"

"Only because I edited them," Hermione smirked, leaning back against the tree beside them, "You probably would have failed all of your classes with me."

Harry refused to admit that she was right, so he took the more mature route of sticking his tongue out at her.

She raised her eyebrows at him, "Yeah, you've been spending way too much time with your kids."

She handed him back the essay and bushed her dark, bushy hair out of her face. Harry just rolled his eyes at her, though she was right. James, especially, was very fond of sticking his tongue out at people. He really needed to spend more time with adults.

"Well," he said slowly, "The first Hogsmeade Visit is on a week where the kids will be with Ginny and I've already volunteered to chaperone. I'll get out then."

"I'm chaperoning too. I'll come with. I haven't been there in so long," Hermione said cheerfully, "Cassie already said that she'd watch Rose and Hugo. By the way, have I told you about Rose's new crush?"

Harry raised his eyebrows, "A crush?"

She nodded and giggled softly, "All I hear about nowadays is Scorpius this and Scorpius that. The other day, she told me that she's going to marry him. Isn't that cute?"

Harry laughed, "It seems both of our kids have gotten close to the Malfoy kid. He and Albus are best friends now. It's rather odd, considering the fact that we hated Malfoy when we were kids."

"Yeah, but Draco isn't like his father," Hermione shrugged, "We talked for a while earlier. Draco was taught about blood supremacy from a young age. It was pretty much drilled into him. Now that he understands, he said that he's raising his son differently. He doesn't want him to be a spoiler brat like he was, and he's not. He's doing really well raising him."

Harry had to agree with that. When he'd first met Scorpius, he'd been surprised at how different the boy was from the pureblooded brat that Harry had known at Hogwarts. Draco had really changed after the war, though that was partly because of the warning he'd been given at his trial. He had to change, and he did. He had really redeemed himself.

"If someone would have told me that Malfoy would be a decent adult, I would have laughed in their face," Harry smirked.

"If someone had told me that Harry Potter would be a professor, I would have died laughing," Hermione retorted, poking him, "People change and grow up. You're a far cry from the first year who tried to convince me to do his homework."

A sigh escaped his lips, "Life happened. The War happened."

"Exactly," she said with a nod, "We can't judge people on how they were as children. Ron's an amazing father but he was an irresponsible child. For Merlin's Sake, Fred and George are parents!"

He grinned at that, "Alicia said that Fred's planning on having more kids."

"More? They already have five!"

"Apparently, he wants to have eight. I think he took Arthur's joke that none of them were going to have as many kids as they did as a challenge."

Hermione shook her head fondly, "There's too many kids that I can keep track of."

Her watch suddenly made a beeping sound. She glanced down at it and quickly stood up.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, concerned.

"Oh, Ron should be arriving with Rose and Hugo soon. I need to get back to my quarters."

Harry nodded in understanding, "Well, I'll see you later, Hermione."

The woman grinned, "You too."

He watched her go. For some reason, he found himself staring. He pulled his eyes back to the essay as he wrote a 'P' at the top.

He hated giving bad grades, but they would never get better if he didn't.

* * *

 **AN: Alright, so we got Harry giving advice to Freddie, Harry being jealous, and a Harry/Hermione conversation. Next chapter will explore Harry's jealousy over Michael, since that's going to be a pretty big plotline, and we'll meet some more Professors! Leave in a review what you thought of this chapter and what you'd like to see in the next one!**


	4. Christmas at the Burrow

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

The year went by relatively uneventful, save the several instances where Georgia and Freddie pulled a prank. After his talk with the boy, Freddie had regained his previous confidence and embraced his Slytherin nature and Georgia, after getting a letter from her father, had realized the potential that this held.

The two had quickly become famous around the castle for their pranks. Their most famous was when they somehow managed to sneak a potion into the school's pumpkin juice so that everyone's hair turned into a rainbow of colors.

Of course, the two had gotten plenty of detentions, though they didn't seem to care. Sirius was ecstatic to see the pranks performed and often gave them tips on how to get away with it. McGonagall did not approve.

Harry had to admit that he was jealous of Michael after his kids had come back with stories of how much fun they had had. James babbled on about the stuffed dragon that Michael had gotten and Lily couldn't stop talking about when he took them flying. The only one who didn't really seem to like him was Albus, who had been overjoyed to come home.

At least one of his kids liked him more than Michael.

The other thing that was on his mind was Hermione. He wasn't sure when it had started, but she was creeping into his thoughts more often now.

Before he knew it, Christmas Break had arrived. Since the kids were over at Ginny's until Christmas day (where Harry would be picking them up from the Burrow), he decided to get to bed early.

He settled down in his bed and turned on to his side, staring at the wall in thought. He couldn't get Hermione out of his head. Her laugh, her smile. He furrowed his eyebrows. Did he like Hermione?

No, he didn't. He couldn't. She was like a sister to him, right?

A noise caught his attention across the room. His head snapped to the door as it opened and a small face appeared.

"Daddy?"

"Albus?" Harry asked in disbelief, scrambling out of his bed, "What are you doing here?"

The boy walked in, looking at the floor. He was dressed in his pajamas and he seemed a bit jittery, "I had a nightmare."

"You're supposed to be with your mum," he said pointedly.

Albus nodded, "I know, but I had a nightmare."

Harry sighed. The fact that Albus had gotten up in the middle of the night and flooed away alarmed him. He's always told his children not to use the floo without permission unless it was an emergency.

"Come here," he said, patting the bed. Albus hopped onto the bed and immediately curled up next to Harry, "You know, you could have gone to your mum."

Albus wrinkled up his nose, "But Michael was in her room."

Oh.

He hadn't expected that at all. Eyes wide in surprise, he coughed awkwardly, "What was your nightmare about?"

Albus simply shrugged, "Don't remember."

Harry could tell that the boy was falling asleep. He rubbed his back. He knew he couldn't let him sleep here. Ginny would freak out in the morning when she couldn't find him, but it would be a lot easier to let him fall asleep and then carry him there.

Pretty soon, Albus had fallen asleep next to him. Harry pulled his hand away and caught the boy's sleeve, causing it to ride up, revealing a bruise.

He frowned, letting his fingers trace it lightly. Where had that come from? He didn't think that Albus and James had been roughhousing lately, but they had probably been at Ginny's. Still, he couldn't get the sprinkle of worry to leave as he carefully lifted Albus up and walked to the floo.

Being sure to be quiet, he flooed to Ginny's. Luckily, Albus stayed asleep.

As he walked out of the floo, he noticed Ginny pacing, looking panicked. She saw him and her face immediately relaxed as she bolted to him and gathered Albus out of his arms, holding him close.

"He had a nightmare, apparently," Harry explained to her, "Flooed over to my quarters. You should put a lock on the floo."

She simply nodded. Harry briefly noticed Michael on the couch, watching the exchange closely. The more time he spent around the man, the more he realized that Michael hated him. Why, he had no idea, but at least it didn't seem to bleed over into the kids. He seemed to adore them, especially Lily.

While he didn't understand the man, he knew that he had to be civil, especially if what he suspected was true.

"Well, I'll be going. I'll see you Saturday."

Ginny nodded, sending him a quiet thank you. He gave her a smile and then went on his way.

* * *

Christmas day arrived swiftly. Harry woke up in his quarters to silence, as he had the past seven days. He didn't think he'd ever get used to being alone for a week.

He climbed out of bed and got ready before heading to the Great Hall. McGonagall had told him that they would have a Christmas Breakfast ready and he planned on getting some food before heading off to the Burrow.

Upon entering, he noticed the small group set up at the table. Sitting at a round table was McGonagall, Hagrid, Mallory Martin (the Ancient Runes Professor), three Slytherins, and a Ravenclaw.

He took a spot between Hagrid and the Fifth year Slytherin, Tara Harley.

"Merry Christmas," he greeted them.

They echoed it back and gave him a smile. He piled pancakes onto his plate and glanced around. Christmas at Hogwarts would never cease to amaze him. The decorations were beautiful.

The Ravenclaw, Sidney Young, leaned over to him, "You're picking up the kids, right?"

Sidney had grown rather close to James, Albus, and Lily. He was pretty sure James had a crush on her.

He nodded, "Yeah, I'll be spending Christmas with the Weasley's and picking them up there."

Sidney gave a gleeful grin.

"Oh," Mallory turned from her conversation with McGonagall to speak to Harry, "Your son, Albus, has an amazing gift for Ancient Runes."

Harry raised his eyebrows at the woman, "How so?"

"Cassie brought the kids to the staff room last week and I had a wonderful conversation with him. He asked me what I was reading and it was a book on runes that I was going over to for class and we started talking about it. He seemed interested so I showed him some runes. By the time he left, he could recognize several, including the rune for water and air."

This surprised Harry. After all, Albus had never spoken of it.

Though, Albus didn't seem to speak about much at all, lately. He'd gotten much quieter and Harry frowned to himself, wondering when that had happened, and why. Albus had always been quieter than James and Lily, especially in public, but he used to tell Harry everything.

A sinking feeling hit his stomach. Something was wrong with his son. He needed to figure out what it was. Was it because of the divorce? Harry had thought that his children had taken it well, but maybe they hadn't.

He shoveled the food down quickly and stood up, "Well, I've got to get going. Molly and Arthur are having a Christmas Party at the Burrow."

* * *

When Harry arrived at the Burrow, he realized that Ginny had already arrived with the kids, as well as Corner. The man was talking to Arthur and the two were laughing heartily about some story about Lily making him play dress up.

James and Lily were nowhere to be found, but Albus' face lit up at the sight of Harry and he ran to him and jumped into his arms. Harry frowned slightly as he saw a bruise on the boy's chin.

"Where'd you get that, Al?" he asked him, concerned as his fingers trailed over it carefully.

Albus' hands went up to the bruise, as if he was surprised at it being mentioned. His bright green eyes lit up in realization, "I fell," he said simply, "I was racing James and I tripped over a toy."

Harry sighed, really wanting to chastise his son for not cleaning up his toys but holding himself back because it was Christmas. Instead, he levelled his gaze at him and said, "Did your mother talk to you about using the floo?"

The boy nodded sheepishly, "Mummy grounded me for three whole days!"

"Good," Harry said with a nod, "If you had accidentally ended up somewhere else, what would we have done?"

He shrugged, looking down at the floor, "Sorry, daddy."

Harry ruffled his hair, not wanting his son to be upset on Christmas, "That's alright. Just don't do it again. Now, are you okay?"

A confused look appeared on his face and he nodded, "Yeah."

He didn't know if he believed him but as he watched him carefully, he couldn't find anything wrong. He nodded, "Alright, go play. Did Santa Claus bring you that dinosaur you wanted?"

His eyes lit up excitedly and he nodded, "Yeah! And I got book on dragons! Isn't that cool?"

"That's very cool," Harry agreed, grinning, and he sat back as Albus babbled about everything he got.

This was how things were supposed to be. Albus told him everything and he listened. Why was it something that had become so rare?

* * *

Ron arrived not long afterwards with his kids. Albus immediately ran over to Rose, babbling about what he'd gotten. Hugo was attached to Ron's leg and Harry walked over with a smirk, "You've got a leech there, Ron."

His friend rolled his eyes, "He's got a bit of a cold," he explained, bending down and trying to pull the red-haired boy off of him, but Hugo just held on harder, "He gets clingy when he's sick."

Molly seemed to sense the sick child from the other side of the house as she came sweeping in, motherly instincts turned on. She immediately pried Hugo off of Ron.

"Oh, you poor thing," she cooed, "Come on, I'll make you some soup. Would you like that?"

The four-year-old nodded sleepily, wrapping his arms around her neck.

Ron snickered as Molly immediately fled with the child to the kitchen, "I'm pretty sure that Percy is going to have a fit when he finds out that Hugo is sick and in the kitchen with all of the food."

"That'll be fun to watch," Harry responded with a grin, "How's work?"

"Awful," Ron groaned, throwing his head back and closing his eyes as if he was absolutely exhausted, "I've been having to work overtime a lot lately. We're working on this murder case and-"

"Are you talking about murder around kids again?"

An exasperated Hermione walked in, rolling her eyes at Ron. She was carrying a plate of cookies that she immediately sat on the table with all the other food that people had brought. Her hair was pulled back into a bushy ponytail and her brown eyes gleamed.

Ron rolled his eyes, "'Course not. They're all running around somewhere."

A giggle from nearby proved Ron wrong. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him and bent down, pulling up the table cloth of the nearby table. James and Cori were underneath the table, each munching on a cupcake that had been made by Molly.

"James," Harry sighed, exasperated. The eight-year-old simply grinned up at him innocently, "Cori, where are your parents?"

The girl giggled, the sound matching the previous one, "Dad's with Uncle George," she said happily, "They're planning something, but it's a secret. So you can't tell anyone. And Mummy went to find him."

Of course. Harry hadn't even realized that George was there but as he turned his head, he spotted Angelina talking to Ginny about what had to be Quidditch, considering the fact that both of them were on the same team. He wasn't sure where Freddie was but he could guess that he was somewhere planning something. Roxanne, at age 9, was probably outside looking for bugs. She had an odd fascination with them.

"Well, you two need to stop eating the food. It's not time for lunch yet," Harry said, "If you're good, I'll take you guys flying later."

That did the trick. Their eyes lit up with giddiness and they immediately nodded, scrambling out from under the table. James immediately had a question on his lips, "Can Michael come?"

He frowned, the jealousy rising up again, "Oh, I'm sure he's busy."

"No, he's not," James said happily, turning to where Michael was talking to Arthur, "Michael! Can you come flying with us later?"

Corner smiled at that, nodding, "Of course, James."

"See?" James said as he turned back.

Harry sighed, but nodded. He didn't like Corner. Something about him was rubbing him the wrong way, but James and Lily at least seem to really like him, so he guessed that he would have to put his jealousy aside.

* * *

By noon, everyone had arrived and they settled down at the large, extended table. Due to how big the family (and honorary family) was, they had had to put a charm on the kitchen to allow for them all to eat at the same table, as Molly insisted. Harry was seated beside Hermione towards the end of the table and he was in a discussion with Ron about Quidditch.

"Okay, they might not have the best Seeker but-"

"Ron, Oswald wouldn't knew a snitch from a bird, and without a good Seeker, you can't have a good team," Harry said as he ate a bite of mashed potatoes.

Ron shook his head, "He got the snitch before Ulrich in the game against the Appleby Arrows."

Harry snickered at that, "That's because they haven't won a single match all year."

Before Ron could have a response for that, Fred and George stood to their feet in unison, matching grins on their faces as they climbed onto the chairs in order to tower in front of everyone. Angelina and Alicia both exchanged exasperated glances and Harry saw James lean forward excitedly.

"Attention everyone!" Fred spoke as if he was announcing the World Cup, "We have a very special announcement."

George took over before anyone could say a word about it, "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes is officially branching out!"

"Hogsmeade will be getting their own shop!" they finished excitedly in unison.

The room broke into applause. Harry could see Teddy talking excitedly to Victoire about the new shop, his hair changing colors sporadically. Sirius looked ecstatic, most likely having plans on heading to the shop on a Hogsmeade trip in order to plan the ultimate prank in his class.

"Congratulations, Fred, George," Remus said, smiling at them and patting them on the back, "Pretty soon you'll have a shop in every Wizarding Village around the world."

"That's the plan," George nodded happily.

"Though, it'll be a bit difficult. The plan is for me to work at Hogsmeade and him to work at Diagon Alley. We're going to need some more partners," Fred finish with a smirk and he could see the boy sending glances off to Freddie and Georgia, who were already whispering excitedly to each other.

Harry had no doubt that they planned for the two to take over one day.

As the excitement from the announcement calmed down and they finished eating, James and Cori hopped out of the seat, "Let's go flying now!"

"Now?" Harry asked, amused, "We just finished eating."

"Won't you get cramps?" Caroline asked innocently, causing Teddy to snicker.

He changed his appearance to match his sister's and mocked, "Won't you get cramps?"

Caroline glared at him and stomped on his foot, causing him to yelp and his normal appearance to snap back into place as he held his foot.

"Hey, no fighting," Tonks said as she walked in, "Teddy, be nice to your sister. Caroline, that's swimming, dear."

Caroline's eyes widened in understanding, "Oh, right."

Sirius walked over and clapped Harry on the back, "You taking them flying?" at Harry's nod, he turned to the rest of the family, "QUIDDITCH MATCH!"

The excitement that bubbled through everyone told Harry that this was going to be one epic match.

* * *

 **AN: This chapter was shorter than I wanted it to be, and it took forever to finish, so sorry guys! It's close to the end of the school year so teachers are going crazy with work. I get out on May 20th, though, so I should be able to get back to this. Next chapter will a Quidditch match to remember!**

 **Leave in a review anything you would like to see!**


	5. Quidditch

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Behind the Burrow sat a large Quidditch Pitch, recently refurbished in order to fit the large family. Harry smiled softly to himself as he walked down, broom in hand. Lucy, Percy's youngest daughter, ran ahead and subsequently fell flat on her face. Audrey quickly scooped her off the ground, fretting over her for a moment before realizing she was okay.

"Alright," Mr. Weasley, being the eldest, spoke in an amplified voice. The entire family fell silent, listening intently for what he was about to say. Only Lily and Hugo continued whispering to each other, but no one paid them any mind. The two were too young to play anyway and they had already decided to leave them, and the other younger kids, with some of the adults in the stands that they had created.

"The captains will be our very own professionals."

Ginny and Alicia stepped forward as the twins waved their wands, causing fireworks to explode in the air. Several of the kids pointed to the air and giggled, but the majority of the adults simply rolled their eyes.

"Alright, we'll flip a coin to see who can choose first," Mr. Weasley spoke happily, pulling out an American Muggle Quarter. He turned to James, who was practically vibrating with excitement, and showed it to him, "I got this on my last vacation. Look, the front of it has a former president and on the back-"

"Dad, just hand it over," Charlie said, rolling his eyes.

Mr. Weasley looked affronted, but sighed as he walked between Ginny and Alicia, "Call it in the air," he told them, before flipping it.

"Heads!" Alicia shouted before Ginny had the chance.

He caught the coin. It was tails.

"Alright, Gin. You get to pick first."

In order to help Ginny see her choices, Hermione (who still wasn't fond of flying) and Cassie (who couldn't due to being a muggle) gathered up the younger children and headed to the stands. A few adults followed, including Percy, Audrey, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Ginny scanned the field but was quick to choose, "I choose Michael."

The man grinned and happily strutted forward. From the stands, Harry heard Lily cheering happily and couldn't stop the small flare of jealousy.

"Alright, Ally," Fred grinned at his wife, who glared at him.

"What have I told you about calling me that?" she demanded, annoyed, and then, as if just to spite him, purposely did not pick him, "Harry."

Fred put a hand to his heart, "Oh, the betrayal," he said dramatically, falling forward and having to be caught by George, who fanned his face as if he had passed out.

James decided that he needed to get in on the joke, "Aunt Ally," he grinned, "Is there something going on between you and dad?"

Alicia gagged, taking several steps from Harry. Fred pulled up immediately, "Harry!"

"For goodness sakes," Ginny butt in, rolling her eyes, "Jamie, you're on my team."

A grin spread across the eight-year-old's face and he happily ran over. Corner affectionately ruffled his hair and James shined with glee.

The picking continued on for several minutes, until the teams had been set. On Ginny's team was Corner as Keeper, James and Charlie with Ginny as Chasers, Freddie and Georgia as Beaters, and Teddy as Seeker. On Alicia's team was Ron as Keeper, Angelina and Sirius with Alicia as Chasers, Fred and George as Beaters, and Harry as Seeker.

The game started and they soared into the air. Harry hadn't gone flying in a while, but his instincts immediately took over and he flew high.

"Angelina has the quaffle, she dodges a bludger aimed at her by her very own son. Not cool, Freddie."

Harry glanced down and saw Bill, sitting with Fleur, at the announcers table. Charlie had really gone overboard when he'd created the pitch.

"Sorry, mum!" Freddie shouted, though he sent yet another bludger at her. She effortlessly dodged it and raced past Ginny as she attempted to block her.

Angelina wasn't professional but she definitely could be.

"She shoots… SHE SCORES! 10 points to Team Alicia!"

The stand cheered happily. Harry glanced over and saw that Hermione had spelled a large poster to read, "Go Dad!"

"Alicia has the quaffle. She passes to Sirius and – OOH intercepted by Charlie. He passes to Ginny."

The poster now read, "Go Mum!"

Rose and Hugo also had their own now, one that read, "Block that quaffle, Dad!"

"Ginny races past Sirius, who attempts to block her. She dodges a bludger sent by George… oh, sorry, Fred. She shoots and… RON BLOCKS! Fantastic save. I haven't seen someone block Ginny in years."

Harry grinned slightly to himself as he heard Rose and Hugo burst into cheers in the stands, matched with Albus and Lily groaning.

Someone flew by him, "Come on, dad, you got to actually look for the Snitch!" James teased.

"I'm just waiting for the perfect time," he smirked at his son, though he let his green eyes soar across the field. He didn't see it. A glance at Teddy, who was circling the field, showed that he didn't either.

"Ginny has the quaffle again. She passes to Charlie, who dodges a bludger from George. Charlie goes to pass to James and- OH! Fred, good shot! The bludger connects with the quaffle and knocks it off course. Alicia has the quaffle now. She shoots and SCORES! 20-0, Team Alicia."

Corner let out an angry shout and flew back to his goals, looking like a bear protecting its cubs.

"Sirius has the quaffle. He soars down pitch and passes to Angelina. She passes to Alicia, who goes in for the shot and- oh, Michael finally managed to block something."

Corner glared angrily at Bill, who held up his hands in defense.

"Alright, Ginny has the quaffle. She dodges a bludger by Fred, and another by George, and another by Fred. They seem determined to knock her off but she's dodging them effortlessly. Go Gin!"

In the stands, the poster cheered Ginny on.

"She passes to James, who shoots and… Wow! He scores!"

The poster now read, "Go James!" as the stands exploded into cheers. Despite it having gotten past Ron, who was on Harry's own team, he grinned at his son and shot him a thumbs up.

He was pretty sure that Ron had let it past, but he wasn't about to let James know that.

"The quaffle goes to Sirius. He passes to Alicia, who passes to Angelina, who passes to Alicia, then back to Sirius. Sirius passes to- oh! Good feint, there. Sirius goes in for the shot… BLOCKED!"

Ginny flew by Michael and grinned at him. Harry watched them curiously. There was definitely something going on between them. He wondered what-

A flash of gold caught his attention as it flew past him. He spun on his broom and his instincts took over as he darted on his broom after it.

"Alicia shoots and scores! 10 points to Team Alicia! The score is 30-10 to Team Alicia and- Oh! Harry's seen the snitch! And Teddy is off behind him!"

Harry reached out for the snitch, the thrill of the chase sending exhilaration through him. It was practically melting away all the stress, all the worry, as he reached forward. A smile was painted on his face. All thoughts vanished. It was just him and the snitch on the field.

His fingers stretched out as he neared closer and closer to the snitch.

His hand closed around the golden snitch.

"Harry caught the snitch!"

A younger voice suddenly spoke. Harry recognized it as 7-year-old Louis, "Team Alicia wins!"

He flew down to the ground, still grinning to himself. Alicia flew down and patted him on the back, "You still got it, Harry."

Lily appeared next to him, hugging his legs, "Yay, Daddy! You caught the snitch!"

Harry laughed, bending down and picking up his daughter. Despite only being four, the girl was definitely into Quidditch. He guessed it made sense, considering who her parents were.

"Dad, that was so cool," James gushed as he flew down to him, seemingly not even noticing that his team had not won. Harry briefly wondered if he should have thrown it for his son, but as his eyes moved behind James and he saw Corner brooding with Ginny talking to him, he felt a small feeling of satisfaction.

The man had flown to the ground and was staring angrily at Harry. He wasn't sure why, but he felt that childish feeling of satisfaction that he would get whenever he would make Malfoy mad back at Hogwarts. He averted his eyes, smiling down at his kids.

"You didn't even hesitate! It was so cool!" James grinned, practically vibrating. Beside him, Albus nodded excitedly.

Hermione walked over and hugged him. His smile only widened.

"Why you became a teacher and not a professional Quidditch teacher, I'll never know," Hermione said with a fond smile.

Harry shrugged, "I like teaching," he simply responded, "Besides, it keeps me out of the spotlight. Being a professional Quidditch Player would be a nightmare with paparazzi. They're already bad enough."

Hermione laughed softly, "Yeah, Rita Skeeter tried sneaking back into Hogwarts the other day. I've never seen McGonagall so furious."

In his arms, Lily giggled, "She was a bug!"

"She was," Harry agreed, "Luckily, she got in trouble for it this time. She won't be coming back onto the property any time soon."

Magical Restraining Orders were a lot more effective than Muggle ones.

Lily began to babble into Harry's ear as James ran over to Cori to gush over the game. Albus walked over to Rose who was talking to Ron. Harry briefly noticed that the boy was keeping an eye on Corner, as if waiting for the man to do something.

He turned his head to him again and noticed the man still glaring at Harry. Once he realized that he was being watching, he turned and punched the Quidditch goal in fury.

A shiver went down Harry's spine. He didn't like Corner. He didn't like Corner being around his kids, but they seemed to adore the man. At least, James and Lily did, and Albus had never said anything bad about him. Ginny definitely seemed to love him.

There was something about him, though. His anger definitely set off alarm bells in his head. He didn't want his kids around the man when he was angry.

They had never said anything, though. Surely, they would tell him if something was wrong.

Right?

* * *

 **Author's Note: This was shorter than I wanted, but I felt like this was a good spot to end the chapter. I've been super busy lately, and my life isn't going to calm down until after May 13th. My last day of school isn't until May 20th, but we never do anything the last week of school and all of my tests will be over on the 13th, so once that is over, I should be able to write to my heart's content!**

 **So, some reviewers are getting clued into what is going on, and I gave a major hint at the end of this chapter. There will be more explanation soon, and I will say that there is a lot of things going on that Harry does not know about. And again, this is not a Ginny Bashing story.**

 **What character would you guys like to see more of? I feel like I should actually have the Malfoy's in the story soon instead of just consistently mentioning them. I will also say that Professor Mallory Martin (who was in the last chapter) will play a pretty big part in this story.**

 **Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!**


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